There was around the table this noisy hilarity and this individual freedom which accompany, in people of lower condition, the end of meals. Those who were unhappy with their place had risen from the table and had been to look for other neighbors. Everyone was starting to speak both, and no one took care of responding to what his interlocutor told him, but only to his own thoughts.
In this scene from "The Comte de Monte-Cristo," the atmosphere around the table is lively and filled with noise, reflecting a sense of individual freedom commonly found among those of lower social standing after a meal. Guests who were dissatisfied with their seating moved around to find more agreeable company, highlighting the dynamic nature of the gathering.
As conversations began, the participants engaged in a cacophony of voices, rarely listening to...
